CHAPTER XIV 



A lack of amuBcment — Fishing on the lake — Ciood sport — Snake charming 

 — A performance describetl — " Music hath charms " — Discordant but 

 fascinating — Lured out of a well — A marvellous performance — Re- 

 moving poisonous fangs — The haraadr^'ad — Its rapidity of movement 

 — A friend's experience — Hatching the eggs — A male mother — The 

 neet found — A rare specimen — The insatiable collector — The biter bit 

 — The snake stone — Method of using it — The cure effected — An heir- 

 loom — Pmrging the stone — A narrow escape — Rough on the fishing- 

 rod — A snake in the hall — Prompt measures — Taking the bull by the 

 boms — A strange protest — Posted to Shikapur — Its evil reputation 

 — The hottest place in India — How we kept cool at night — Sand-fliee 

 and mosquitoes — Sand storms — No regular rainfall — A change to 

 Sukkur— Cold weather, short and severe— Wild fowl in plenty — Pleasant 

 days at Khairpur — An old-time chieftain — A sportsman over seventy 

 — Wild shooting — Ali Murad and his falcons — A day'? hawking — Well- 

 trained birds — An old reprobate — Curious way of fishing. 



Apart from pig-sticking and small-game shooting, there 

 was little in the way of amusement at Sholapur, but as 

 the station boasted of rather a good lake, we rigged up a 

 boat and for some time amused ourselves with sailing. 



However, discovering after a while, that there were 

 fish in the lake, we used the boat for fishing ; the fish we 

 found, though small, were very plentiful and good eating, 

 and what is more to the point, gave excellent sport with 

 a fly. 



It was while at Sholapur, too, that I witnessed some 

 ^'••"- ins feats of snake-charming, performed by a wandering 

 of professional snake-charmers. The principal pcr- 

 lunner was an individual of the native juggler tj-pe, who, 

 to the weird music of a reed instrument, which he called 

 a " phimghi," made several cobras, which he brought 

 with him, sway and keep time to, what by courtesy might 

 be called the tune, which, howerer, seoned to have an 

 extraordinary fascination for the "^^^ tor thev were 



lOS 



